The little girl in the picture is laughing at me.

Okay, so maybe she isn’t, but it sure as hell feels like it. Her chubby cheeks are adorable, and her smile is infectious even through the screen of my computer where I’m touching up the photo.

I don’t particularly appreciate photographing people, preferring landscapes to portraits. Only in a small town like Summerdon, I’ve learned to be flexible. Plus, I really need the money. This apartment is more expensive than I thought it would be—actually, everything is more expensive. The apartment, groceries, car parts.

That feeling in my chest bubbles up again, letting me know my current train of thought will have me dry-heaving over the toilet if I keep going.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and then another and another until the pressure goes away, temporarily hiding in the chambers of my heart, only to return later when I can’t force the panic to stop.

My phone dings. The little notification chimes a grateful distraction that I rush to acknowledge. At this point, I don’t care who it is. I might not be talking to my parents or my brothers, but I’ll take any excuse to stop working on the little girl, editing away her natural beauty per her grandmother’s request.

Of all the options for a message, I’m happy to see it’s from my sister. Or half-sister. I’m not really sure what to call Leo since she’s only been in my life for a few months now. Our relationship is sort of a work in progress.

The message is a quick read, basically asking if I can come over to her tribe’s house since the alphas want to speak with me.

Even more recently than my sister coming into my life, is the transition to a new pack alpha. Shade was always meant to take over Hollowell as the son of our last alpha, but the two males challenged each other, and Shade won. No one knows exactly what the challenge was over, although everyone suspects it has to do with Leo and her mate, X. Personally, I’m glad Shade won.

Sending her a quick response that says I’ll be on my way, I quickly save the portrait photos on my laptop and change clothes. Sweats and sweaters are good enough for the apartment but not for the presence of our pack leaders. Not wanting to keep my alphas waiting, I simply grab a brown turtleneck, change into a matching pair of slacks, and grab my winter coat before heading out of my apartment.

I glare at the soft snow falling and head to my sweet girl.

Yes, I love my car. She was the first thing I purchased with my own money, and true, she might not work the best, but I can’t find the heart to trade her in. Not that I’d get a lot of cash, even for her scrap parts.

Tapping the lucky dice around my rearview mirror, I pray to the mechanic gods and try to start my sweet girl.

And fail.

And fail again.

“No, no, no, don’t die on me now.” I take the key out and slam my eyes shut, forcing myself to take the deep breaths that I know will stop the despair from building in my chest. When my emotions finally calm, I take the key, kiss it, and try one more time.

I refuse to cry at the sound of the motor turning over, but I do rest my head on the steering wheel, attempting to ignore the darkness as it tests my resolve to hold it back. When did I become like this? This panic-induced spiral that can’t go more than twenty minutes without having an anxiety attack?

Of course, that’s more of a rhetorical question. It all started when Leo came to town—not that I blame her. But her presence came as a sort of shock to my family since my father—also her father—didn’t know she existed. My brothers blame her for simply being alive, my mother blames my father for not being there for Leo, and my father blames Leo’s mother. It’s all a mess.

And then there’s the fact that our last alpha sort of kidnapped Leo and I didn’t help her. That guilt doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon either.

So my family is breaking, and my instincts hate that I’m living by myself, and I’m drowning in bills because my parents never taught me what life is like outside of the pack.

My car shakes, reminding me that she’s still idling in the parking lot of my apartment complex. Taking one last deep breath, I drive towards the alphas’ place.

*

Seeing my sister out front, I don’t waste any time getting out of my car. Although, considering the giant wolf wrapped around her keeping her warm, I don’t get too close. In our shifted forms, we are still us and have the same mind, but our instincts are sharper and harsher. And I have no interest in being on the receiving end of any of X’s instincts.

“Hey, Leo.” I give her a little wave, stopping a good distance from her and her mate.

“Why are you still driving that car, Mai?”

I mock gasp, “Don’t say that so loud. She may hear you.”

Leo rolls her eyes and stands, motioning for me to follow her after she lets X into the house. The couple quickly makes their way into the bedroom, most likely so X can shift and dress, so I stand in the middle of the hallway, refusing to move in case I accidentally break something.

This tribe’s house isn’t as fancy as the old alpha tribe’s, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to risk touching anything. The log cabin fits seven people, and it isn’t even cramped. My apartment is just me and I can barely bend over the sink to wash my face without my ass hitting the wall behind me. Then again, it isn’t like I’m as skinny as my pack mates.